apparently laid down the law.”
Thanks, Earl, for spilling the beans . How the hell did he know the story? Geez, he was well aware that Harmony was small, but he didn’t realize that he’d be the hot topic on everyone’s tongue. Keith guessed that made him the official town idiot. Of course his affairs would be fueling the town gossip, this being Mayberry and all. Screw it. The whole town was bat-shit crazy.
“What?” Liza looked as if she might burst from laughing. “Surely, he jests,” she said in a tone of disbelief.
Keith shot Earl a glare. “Nope. It’s so out there, they could write a sitcom around it. Come on and I’ll give you all the hilarious details.” He gestured with his elbow for Liza to follow him out.
She trotted after him. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Man, I’m glad I came home.”
***
Keith climbed the stairs to the second floor of his home looking for Bertie. Liza followed close behind. They’d both finished their coffees and shared Liza’s cheesecake on a park bench in the middle of town square, down the street from the Daily Grind. Keith found Liza to be funny and insightful. He only confirmed what Earl had told her. He didn’t elaborate on his fucked-up life or the fact that Francesca threatened to fight for Maddie.
As angry as Francesca’s high-handedness made him, Keith didn’t want to fight her. Deep down, underneath all the anger and the hurt and the loss and the self-pity, he knew Francesca was right. He knew he needed to gain control of his life and the life of his daughter before it was too late—before Maddie was all grown and before he missed being a real father to her. And as repugnant as it all seemed, that meant making this insta-bride thing happen.
Liza could’ve been a contender, but she laughed in his face, as was her habit, and basically told him no fucking way. And yes, she’d dropped the f-bomb. So, Keith believed he met Gail today for a reason. Now, if he could only shake the feeling that pursuing the little bookworm was a terrible mistake.
In the upstairs hallway, he followed the sound of music and the unmistakable smell of vinegar. He stopped in the doorway of the room that would soon be Maddie’s.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Bertie jumped at his voice and almost fell off the ladder she’d climbed to attack the ancient floral wallpaper. Keith sprinted into action just in time to slap his hand around the back of her thigh to keep her from tumbling. The ladder wobbled and then settled back in place.
“Jesus.”
“You scared me half to death!” Bertie said. “Don’t you know better than to sneak up on people?” She held a scoring tool in one hand and the top of the ladder with the other. Part of her hair had slipped from the claw on top of her head and was plastered to her damp neck. She no longer wore the lacy tunic but a form-fitting, pale yellow T-shirt. Keith’s hand touched bare skin below her short khaki cargo shorts. Her soft thigh burned the inside of his palm, and he itched to slide his hand up to discover what kind of panties she wore. Fingers pressed into her flesh and lingered a moment too long. Bertie’s indignant expression hurtled into one of heated surprise.
“Oh my. Bertie, don’t you look darling?” Liza purred from the doorway, and Bertie jumped again at the sound. This time Keith grabbed her around the waist and hauled her off the ladder before she fell off. He held her against his chest for a second—or twenty—enjoying the feel of her breasts and the hint of gardenias from her warm skin. Crap. He needed to get a grip.
Bertie’s sanity prevailed. “Liza. What are you doing here?” She pushed hard against his chest with one hand while regaining her balance in her funky-colored clogs.
Liza strolled forward in black cords and brown riding boots. She held the coffee he’d bought for Bertie, which minutes ago he’d nuked in the microwave before heading upstairs. “Delivering a hot cup of coffee.
Thanks, Earl, for spilling the beans . How the hell did he know the story? Geez, he was well aware that Harmony was small, but he didn’t realize that he’d be the hot topic on everyone’s tongue. Keith guessed that made him the official town idiot. Of course his affairs would be fueling the town gossip, this being Mayberry and all. Screw it. The whole town was bat-shit crazy.
“What?” Liza looked as if she might burst from laughing. “Surely, he jests,” she said in a tone of disbelief.
Keith shot Earl a glare. “Nope. It’s so out there, they could write a sitcom around it. Come on and I’ll give you all the hilarious details.” He gestured with his elbow for Liza to follow him out.
She trotted after him. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Man, I’m glad I came home.”
***
Keith climbed the stairs to the second floor of his home looking for Bertie. Liza followed close behind. They’d both finished their coffees and shared Liza’s cheesecake on a park bench in the middle of town square, down the street from the Daily Grind. Keith found Liza to be funny and insightful. He only confirmed what Earl had told her. He didn’t elaborate on his fucked-up life or the fact that Francesca threatened to fight for Maddie.
As angry as Francesca’s high-handedness made him, Keith didn’t want to fight her. Deep down, underneath all the anger and the hurt and the loss and the self-pity, he knew Francesca was right. He knew he needed to gain control of his life and the life of his daughter before it was too late—before Maddie was all grown and before he missed being a real father to her. And as repugnant as it all seemed, that meant making this insta-bride thing happen.
Liza could’ve been a contender, but she laughed in his face, as was her habit, and basically told him no fucking way. And yes, she’d dropped the f-bomb. So, Keith believed he met Gail today for a reason. Now, if he could only shake the feeling that pursuing the little bookworm was a terrible mistake.
In the upstairs hallway, he followed the sound of music and the unmistakable smell of vinegar. He stopped in the doorway of the room that would soon be Maddie’s.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Bertie jumped at his voice and almost fell off the ladder she’d climbed to attack the ancient floral wallpaper. Keith sprinted into action just in time to slap his hand around the back of her thigh to keep her from tumbling. The ladder wobbled and then settled back in place.
“Jesus.”
“You scared me half to death!” Bertie said. “Don’t you know better than to sneak up on people?” She held a scoring tool in one hand and the top of the ladder with the other. Part of her hair had slipped from the claw on top of her head and was plastered to her damp neck. She no longer wore the lacy tunic but a form-fitting, pale yellow T-shirt. Keith’s hand touched bare skin below her short khaki cargo shorts. Her soft thigh burned the inside of his palm, and he itched to slide his hand up to discover what kind of panties she wore. Fingers pressed into her flesh and lingered a moment too long. Bertie’s indignant expression hurtled into one of heated surprise.
“Oh my. Bertie, don’t you look darling?” Liza purred from the doorway, and Bertie jumped again at the sound. This time Keith grabbed her around the waist and hauled her off the ladder before she fell off. He held her against his chest for a second—or twenty—enjoying the feel of her breasts and the hint of gardenias from her warm skin. Crap. He needed to get a grip.
Bertie’s sanity prevailed. “Liza. What are you doing here?” She pushed hard against his chest with one hand while regaining her balance in her funky-colored clogs.
Liza strolled forward in black cords and brown riding boots. She held the coffee he’d bought for Bertie, which minutes ago he’d nuked in the microwave before heading upstairs. “Delivering a hot cup of coffee.
Similar Books
